Envisioning the circular region

The transformation to the circular economy demands of us that we start to identify what is appropriate to cycle and recycle at the four different administrative levels: state, regional (or county), municipal, neighborhood and in the circular home.

The diagram above gives an idea of the scale we are discussing.

Several questions arise:

Which criteria for what is local and what is regional shall we apply? Minimization of transport work, advantages of centralization, centres of specialist competence and infrastructure?

Is there a natural scale difference between the technical and the biological cycles?

What problem areas are there and what immediate “low handing fruit” can we see?

How does the circular economy impact climate adaptation?

Several of these issues will be looked at in depth in the coming project from Gävle University that is preparing material to help Swedish regions frame the circular economy into their regional development strategies. I hope to share insights from that work as they publish their findings.

And can we envisage a circular home? The diagram below might be a start.